The present invention relates to travelling wire EDM apparatus in general, and more particularly to a device for orienting the electrode wire support and guide member and the machining fluid injection nozzle of a travelling wire EDM apparatus.
It is known to provide travelling wire EDM apparatus with a device permitting to controllably orient the electrode wire support and guide member and to aim in an appropriate direction a nozzle injecting machining fluid in the machining zone between the electrode wire and the workpiece, the EDM apparatus comprising a support for the electrode wire guide member, a support for the workpiece, means for relatively displacing the electrode wire guide member support and the workpiece support such as to cut the workpiece according to a desired path, a cross-slide table supporting the electrode wire guide member relative to the guide member support, a pair of leadscrews each driven by a servo motor for controlling the displacement of the table cross-slides respectively in two directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the wire, and means for orienting the guide member relative to the plane of the transverse displacements along the axis of the portion of the wire in the machining zone.
Such a device is disclosed for example in French Pat. No. 2,454,869. Such devices are generally relatively complicated and rely on electronic devices for determining the inclination of the guide member.